The present invention generally relates to a virtual world. More particularly, the present invention relates to controlling a physical device or application service in a real world through a virtual device in a virtual world.
A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment where avatars (i.e., a virtual representation of a user) inhabit and interact with other avatars. Examples of virtual worlds include, but are not limited to: Active Worlds™, Second Life™, There, Eve Online, Metaverse (e.g., a virtual world where humans interact with each other; software application in a three dimensional space that uses a metaphor of a real world) and MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) environments.
A real world is a physical reality of every day life which humans experience. In a real world, a user watches a movie via a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) player by manually pushing a “play” button on a remote controller. A user operates a laundry machine by manually pushing “power-on” button or switch. A user turns on an air conditioner by manually pushing a “power-on” button on a remote controller. A physical device includes, but is not limited to: a DVD player, television, air conditioner, dish washer, refrigerator, laundry machine, computer, MP3 player, heater, lamp, gas oven, appliance and any other electronic, mechanical or electromechanical device. An application service includes, but is not limited to: software application such as Microsoft® Widows and a service such as a weather forecast service and traffic alter.
Controlling and managing a physical device in a cyberspace (i.e., a non-physical terrain created by a computing system) is desirable. With a rapid development of computer and communication technologies, almost everything can be digitalized and controlled by a digital logic circuit (e.g., ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Nowadays, some devices can be controlled remotely by Internet. For example, a desktop computer can be woken up remotely by WOL (wake on-line standard) protocol. WOL protocol refers to an Ethernet computer networking standard that allows a computer to be turned on or woken up remotely by a network message sent by another computer. A router or network switch may include a web-based interface accessible by a web browser (e.g., Firefox®, Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, etc.). Current technology enables a control of a commodity device (e.g., refrigerator) remotely by Internet, specifically, by enabling IP addresses.
A progress of a technology makes a virtual world possible to display objects vivid in a Rich Internet Application (RIA). The RIA are web applications, which have most of properties of desktop applications, delivered by one or more of Macromedia® Flash™, Microsoft® Silverlight™, JavaFX™, etc. These objects in a virtual world could be viewed, controlled and even be changed by a user's command (e.g., a mouse click).
A physical device in a real world may be a component to perform a function. For example, watching a movie at home requires a display device, a sound player and a signal source. To watch the movie, a user may utilize a TV screen as the display, utilize a speaker of the TV as the sound player, and use an antenna as the signal source. Sometimes, the user may replace the antenna with a DVD player or a personal computer. Alternatively, the user may replace the TV speaker with speakers connected to the personal computer. All these changes or replacements are done manually in a real world by re-linking cables between components. Thus, commodity devices (e.g., TV) have many interfaces and cables that may not be used at all.
Thus, it is highly desirable to provide ability for controlling physical devices or applications and their connections in a real world through a virtual device in a virtual world without a need for physically re-linking or re-configuring between components in real world.